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Depends on the level of tracking and inventorying you want. You can use
different database management systems to do basic tracking. At a more
sophisticated level, there are numerous library management systems that
allow you to manage resources such as CDs and books. These can include
physical documents in your collection as well as references to paper and
electronic documents at other sites.
Some allow you to insert hypertext links to other collections and have web
front ends. They can range from a few thousand dollars for a basic system
to $100,000 + for more sophisticated, networked, client server, set ups that
allow internet and/or intranet access on a broader scale.
Usually, you buy them by module. Typical modules (with brief descriptions
of functions) are:
- cataloging (fields allow input of a document description),
- circulation (allows the document to be signed out to someone and the
library to track who has it, send a notice requesting its return, bill for
replacement if lost, etc),
- serials (allows you to set up prediction patterns for serials, check them
in when received, claim and track claims when not received, etc),
- acquisitions (allows you to track what you've ordered, from whom, at what
price, and measure against your budget),
- reporting (allows you to generate statistics and determine what areas are
in demand, helps justify your existence, etc) and
- catalog (allows your users to search the items in the catalog, some allow
electronic orders and loan requests).
If this is the kind of thing you're looking for, you can approach by doing
the work yourself or hiring different levels of assistance from a
library/information science consultant. Key steps include determining your
requirements, researching systems that meet them, issuing requests for
proposals, and managing implementation. Depending on your requirements and
scale, this can be quite a project. Please feel free to contact me directly
if you need more information along this line.
Erika Steffer
erika -dot- steffer -at- bmo -dot- com
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From: Gina Hertel
To: ESTEFFE; TECHWR-L
Subject: Tracking CDs, books, and documents
Date: Friday, January 16, 1998 9:40AM
Hello all!
I am looking for a way to track and inventory CDs, books, etc.
Documentum cannot do this.
Can knowledge management systems do this?
Can my intranet do this?
How would anyone recommend going about this endeavor?
Gina Hertel
Technical Writer
Alpha Technologies, Inc.
ghertel -at- alpha88 -dot- com
(732) 980-1800 Ext.749
